Libraries cater to adults hungry for summer reading

Incentives are offered for those who attain goals

Tasha Marren, of Batavia, checks out a book at the Batavia Public Library. (For the Tribune, Alexa Aguilar)

Kathy Carey, of Geneva, is the first to admit her competitive streak might be why she is consistently one of the Geneva Public Library's top readers each summer.

On average, the middle school teacher finishes off more than 50,000 pages as part of the adult summer reading program. In return, Carey receives a T-shirt, coupons for coffee or ice cream and is eligible to win bigger prizes.

"I'm definitely a reader all year," Carey said. "But it is kind of fun to have that extra incentive and to see if I can fill up the sheet (monitoring how many pages she reads)."

Summer reading programs have long been a mainstay of children's summers. Libraries offer prizes and perks to entice students to fill the lazy days of summer with books, and studies show that summer reading clubs can help students retain reading skills.

But adults also get in on the fun, with librarians saying more adults in the Tri-Cities are signing up each year to faithfully log the books they read and collect prizes from local businesses.

Adults have varying motivations. Some want to model good behavior for their kids or are nostalgic for the happy memories of their own childhood summers. Others like the perks of a free coffee or meal. Regardless of the reason, it translates to more visits to the library.

"The act of reading is a solitary one," said Marlise Schiltz, who coordinates the adult program at the St. Charles Public Library. "This brings community."

St. Charles had roughly 500 adults participate last year, Schiltz said. This year, in the first week, more than 5,000 books were logged in by both children and adults, she said.

Last year, Geneva's adult program had 764 participants, with 203 adults reaching the 55-point prize, which translates to reading 5,500 pages, said Gail Conrath, readers' advisory coordinator. And the number of "interactions" with patrons more than doubles during the summer reading program, she said. Readers can log in every 100 pages they read, and with each "log in," their name is entered into that week's raffle. That encourages readers to stop by more often.

Carey, who reads about five hours a day during the summer, said she rides her bike to the library four or five times a week to log in.

"A lot of the people are big readers anyway, but it does encourage people to read a little more and check out more," Conrath said.

At the Batavia Public Library, adults can check in for a prize after they've completed four books, then keep reading for more prizes. Laura Lacher, 54, a lifelong Batavia resident, has already met that first level and picked out a new Debbie Macomber novel as a prize.

Lacher remembers visiting the old Batavia library as a child and participating in the children's club. Now she won't miss a summer, and her 80-year-old mother also participates, she said.

"Summer is reading to me," Lacher said.

Kari Childs figured she might as well sign up herself since her three children are regulars at the St. Charles Public Library. Logging in is an incentive to visit often, she said, and her family likes the chance to try new local businesses who offer coupons and prizes.

"When I explained it to my kids ages ago, I told them, 'This is being paid to do something you do anyway,'" Childs said. "It's a public reward to do something you love."